Love Fool
by Madam Flutterby
Summary: One shot: At the opening of a friend's cafe, Meiling decides to accompany Tomoyo in a song aimed towards a certain someone. However, a tiny problem forces Meiling to overcome her stage fright and realize that another door has opened for her


Love Fool 

_Songfic by: Madam Flutterby_

**DISCLAIMER** :: although many of us wish, we all know that neither you nor i own CCS. lucky CLAMP… therefore- do not sue me cuz i only have 5 cents… HOWEVER- i _do_ own one character and you'll know which one she is cuz when you run across her you'll jus be thinking "who the hell is that?" (unless you've read the first chapter of He Said He Loved Me… then you should be a little familiar with her)  
  
awright… on with the show…  
  
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The last bell at Seijou High School rang, signaling the end of most afternoon activities. Sakura met up with Meiling as they headed over to the bus stop with their friend Fei.  
  
                "So, you headin' over to Le Chat Noir later on?" Sakura asked Meiling as they got onto the bus home.  
  
                "Yeah, it's open mic tonight, right?" Meiling delicately nibbled on a Pocky and offered one to Sakura.  
  
                "Uh-huh. Why? Are you going to perform?" Fei got onto the bus and sat next to them.  
  
                "Nah. Just wondering, cuz there's a song I just figured out on the guitar for Tomoyo and she wanted to sing it while I played." Meiling had been playing the guitar for awhile and had gotten quite good at it. Luckily, she had matured quite a lot since she and the rest were little and didn't flaunt it.  
  
                "You told everyone else right? Cuz I'm just gonna die if no one shows up tonight." Fei was getting quite nervous.  
  
                "Don't worry, Fei! Opening night will be a hit! I promise you! Syaoran, Yamazaki and Eriol got to everyone on the soccer, basketball _and_ tennis team. Tomoyo-chan got the choir, Rikka-chan told the home ec club, Naoko-chan the writing club, and Chiharu-chan and I told the cheerleading squad. Besides, the only way anyone could _not_ want to come is if they've got a cold and couldn't smell your baked goods from a mile away," Sakura assured her. And it was true- Fei had actually been kicked out of the home ec club because her baking was too good. It wasn't stated officially, but when the other girls started to get uncomfortable around Fei, she got the message and left. Her parting wasn't on rocky terms, however, and happily helped out other girls (and sometimes guys) with their cooking, baking, and whatnot. When Rikka couldn't convince her to come back, she helped Fei start Le Chat Noir.  
  
                "Well, quit your worrying, Fei otherwise _I'll_ get nervous! Anyway, here's my stop so I'll catch up with you guys in a couple hours. Ja!" Meiling got off the bus and into Syaoran's apartment as Sakura and Fei waved.   
  
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As she ran up the stairs, she thought about the song she'd just told Sakura and Fei about and started regretting that she had told them about it. Especially considering which song it was.  
  
                "Oh well, no use in stopping it now. Just hope that Tomoyo didn't suddenly get laryngitis and lose her voice." Meiling thought to herself. She headed for the bathroom and ran a hot bubble bath. She stripped out of her school girl uniform and stepped into the bath to unwind.  
  
                _Ding-Dong_  
  
                "Wei-san, can you get that?" Meiling closed her eyes and imagined the music in her head.   
  
_                Ding-Dong_  
  
                "Damnit… on all the afternoons to go grocery shopping." Meiling stood up and put on her bathrobe and walked to the door and opened it.  
  
                "Sorry, forgot my keys." Syaoran walked in with his soccer uniform still on. He took off his shoes and combed his fingers through his hair in a way that would just make you stare with your mouth open like an idiot.  
  
                "No prob. You told the guys about tonight, right?" Meiling interrogated in an attempt to cover up her awe, though she already knew the answer.  
  
                "Uh-huh. Half those guys would marry her just for her cooking." Syaoran headed for his room.  
  
                "Plus- she's not so bad looking!" Yamazaki popped out of nowhere.  
  
                "Oy- I'm telling Chiharu-chan." Meiling glared. Syaoran walked back out of his room in a pair of jeans and a green (surprise, surprise) shirt.  
  
                "Just kidding! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Yamazaki scooted to the side and sat on the couch, "Li-kun, I forgot to give something to you." Yamazaki bent down and pulled something out of his bag, "From Kinomoto." Yamazaki threw the package and Meiling caught it.  
  
                "Geez, would you at least open your eyes when you throw? Syaoran's over _there_." Meiling pointed to behind Yamazaki --'  
  
                "So what is it?" Yamazaki asked.  
  
                "Cake." Syaoran said smiling as he opened the package. Meiling took a step back, "U-um… just call me before you leave, okay?" she didn't wait for an answer and headed straight back for the bathroom. She stepped back into the bathtub and sighed, "I know I can't compete, but does he have to make it _that_ obvious?" Meiling was in the bathroom for another half hour when the water started to get cold. She drained the water and went to her room while Syaoran and Yamazaki were in the living room eating cake.  
  
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                In her room, Meiling looked through her closet. Packed with Louis Vuitton, Versace, Coco Chanel, among a few others, she plucked out a modest black jean skirt and black halter. She headed over to her dresser to do her make-up and stepped back to take a look at herself, "Nice… but still missing something."  
                Her eyes fell on a stuffed black cat on her bed and got an idea. She rummaged through her drawer and at last pulled out a pair of scissors, a black headband and a sewing kit.  
  
                "Now, this might hurt a little bit." Meiling took the cat by its head and cut off the ears and sewed them onto the headband.   
  
============================                "Hmm…are we trying out to be Cat Woman?" Yamazaki said as he caught sight of Meiling.  
  
                "Sugoi! Meiling-chan you're so kawaii!" Sakura said in her usual bubbly voice.  
  
                "Ah, Sakura-chan! I thought we were just going to meet there!" Meiling said in surprise. You could say she was a little jealous at the same time since next to Sakura, Meiling just looked like every other girl.  
  
                "Well, let's go, we're gonna be late." Syaoran grabbed his keys from the key holder and picked up Meiling's guitar case.  
  
                "Ah, ah, ah. No touch." Meiling grabbed (more like stopped the circulation to) Syaoran's wrist and took her guitar. (If Tomoyo were here she would go, "Ohohohohohoho!")   
  
============================                "Fei-chan! This place is bitchin'!" Sakura heard someone say as she approached Fei at the counter, "Wow! The place is packed!"  
  
                "I know! Isn't it great? Thank goodness I got Rikka and the others helping me out. _CRASH_ Crap… Tomoyo! There's a spill at table five. Could you clean it up for me?" Fei said to Tomoyo. Tomoyo gave a thumbs up and scurried over. Meiling noticed that when she got to the table, Tomoyo scribbled something on a piece of paper and gave it to the customer, who nodded and went to the counter, "Um, that girl over there told me to come here."  
  
                "That's right. You broke a glass so you can either chose to pay for it or sing a random karaoke song." Fei said smiling.  
  
                "How much is the glass?" Tomoyo walked by and happily handed a piece of paper to the customer, whose eyes bulged, "I think I'll take the song." The customer accidentally bumped into Meiling ("S-sorry, Li-san") as he sheepishly walked towards the karaoke machine and set it to random (it landed on Bohemian Rhapsody).  
  
                "Wow. Harsh policy. Those glasses must have been really expensive for him to chose the song." Syaoran said.  
  
                "They're actually quote cheap, but it's funnier this way." Fei smiled.  
  
                "Yeah, plus, Fei makes them use the mic with a chip that has only really weird and hard songs on it." Rikka laughed.  
  
                "Muu… Fei that's mean," Sakura pouted.  
  
                "Hey, if you can't pay the time, don't do the crime." Fei shrugged. Everyone looked at her weird, "Uh… English expression. It means that if you can't fine, don't commit the crime in the first place."  
  
                "Ohh…" everyone understood.  
  
                "Oh, Tomoyo, did you lose your voice?" Meiling finally asked.  
  
                "Yeah, the new choir director tried to force her to sing a note she usually can't nail and killed her voice in the process." Syaoran said, "Didn't you know?"  
  
                "No… oh no oh no oh no…!" Meiling sank to the floor.  
  
                "It's okay, Meiling. Deep breaths. You can still perform." Sakura said.  
  
                "No, no, no! I can't! Y-you really can't tell, but I get stage fright when I'm on stage by myself. Like, really." Meiling started to get extremely distressed.  
  
                "It's okay, Meiling, you'll be fine!" Syaoran assured her, "You're a Li, and most of all- you're my cousin. If there was only one person in here who believed that you could do it, it'd be me." Meiling looked at him, surprised.  
  
                "Here, Fei will go onstage with you and sing." Sakura said.  
  
                "What!? Are you freakin' out of your mind!?" Fei fumed.  
  
                "Hey- you're the one making people sing Bohemian Rhapsody when you know their voice range isn't that much _and_ when they're tone deaf. Damn, I was just bout to go deaf myself when that last guy sang." Syaoran said to Fei.  
  
                "Fine, fine, fine. C'mon Meiling, brush yourself off. Now, what song is it?"   
  
============================                "Alright everyone we got a special treat for you all tonight. The owner is going to sing for you all, accompanied by her friend, Meiling." Rikka announced at the podium, "Meiling's a lil nervous, so let's help her feel welcome, okay?"   
  
                Everyone in the café began to clap and guys whistled when Meiling walked onstage.  
  
                "We know this song's a little old, but it's one of those that just stick with you. Anyway, here we go." Fei stepped back, still holding the mic and next to Meiling, who started playing the intro.  
  
                "_Dear, I fear we're facing a problem…"_ Meiling struggled to catch up, particularly because Fei was two measures ahead _and_ singing too fast, "Fei, slow down a bit!" Meiling hissed but her words fell on deaf ears.  
  
                _"Ýou love me no longer, I kn-"  _Meiling stopped playing, "I'm sorry, hang on everyone." And walked offstage, dragging Fei with her, "You- stay here and no moving till I'm done."  
  
                "Okay, where was I?" Meiling sat on the stool and positioned the microphone in front of her and started playing.

_"Dear, I fear we're facing a problem_

_you love me no longer, I know_

_and lately  there is nothing_

_that I can do to make you do._

_Mama tells me I shouldn't bother_

_that I ought to stick to another man_

_a man that really deserves me_

_but I think you do!  
  
"So I cry, and I pray, and I beg_

_  
_                Guys started asking girls to dance and girls started forcing their boyfriends to slow dance with them. Meiling suddenly wasn't all that nervous and her voice got stronger.

_"Love me love me_

_say that you love me_

_fool me fool me_

_go on and fool me_

_love me love me_

_pretend that you love me_

_leave me leave me_

_just say that you need me  
  
_

_"So I cry and I beg for you to_

_love me love me_

_say that you love me_

_leave me leave me_

_just say that you need me_

_I can't care 'bout anything but you..._

_"Lately I have desperately pondered,_

_spent my nights awake and I wonder_

_what I could have done in another way_

_to make you stay_

_Reason will not lead to solution_

_I will end up lost in confusion_

_I don't care if you really care_

_as long as you don't go_

_so I cry and I pray and I beg_

                Meiling's eyes scanned across the room and they landed on happy couples, couples-to-be and lastly on Syaoran and Sakura. Meiling looked at the expression on Syaoran's face and then on Sakura's and came to the realization that Syaoran only looked like that whenever Sakura was happy. Now that she noticed- Syaoran was smiling.

_"love me love me_

_say that you love me_

_fool me fool me_

_go on and fool me_

_love me love me_

_pretend that you love me_

_leave me leave me_

_just say that you need me_

Tired from looking at all the people dance, Meiling looked at the ones who weren't dancing. Especially the guys. Meiling closed her eyes and remembered what Syaoran said to her, "_…and most of all- you're my cousin. If there was only one person in here who believed that you could do it, it'd be me._"

"_Well, if that's what he sees me as, I guess I'll just have to take it like a woman. Now that I think about it… I guess it is pretty nasty if I married my own cousin. But still…_" Meiling sighed and looked at how happy Sakura and Syaoran were, "_Sakura still doesn't know that… but that's still not an excuse…well, I guess if I can't have him for myself, I'll just have to help someone else get him._"

                Meiling started on the last verse when she suddenly became aware of the guy from table five gazing at her. She winked at him, causing him to blush.   
  
__

_"So I cry and I pray for you to_

_love me love me_

_say that you love me_

_leave me leave me_

_just say that you need me_

                Her eyes didn't leave the guy so he would know that the last line was for him.

_Now I won't care 'bout anything but you..."_

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**:: Notes ::**

Okay yeah… I started writing this because **Love Fool** is one of my favorite songs. I was listening to it while I was reading fanfics and I realized, "Hey, this sounds like something Meiling would sing." And voila. The result is the above. Sorry it wasn't all that good. I tend to sidetrack. Plus I wrote this entire thing in like three hours. If you didn't like Fei, too bad cuz she's shows up in my other fic (He Said He Loved Me) and she's gonna be in another one later on. Lucky for you, her existence ends there.

And yeah, I know screwed with some of their personalities. It was either that or do a crossover and I'm not particularly too fond of those.

**:: Moral of the Story ::**

when one door closes, another opens  
… but- sometimes we stare at the closed door for so long  
that we don't notice the other opening__


End file.
